When Skies Cry
by MazokuTenshi
Summary: Renji comforts his Captain, the man he loves, when Rukia dies. RenBya/IchiRukia.


A RenBya for all the fans. I just love the relationship between the Kuchiki siblings and how Renji's stuck in the middle. Honestly, I dunno which one I like more, RenBya or RenRukia.

Pairings: RenBya, IchiRukia, SadoInoue(if you tilt your head to the side/?)

Warning: Character Death and utter sadness… if you don't like Yaoi please leave now.

It was cold. Renji smiled to himself as a tear slowly trickled from his cheek, dripping off his chin and meeting the floor with a plop. It was dark too, the clouds in the sky seeming to know what was going on, the skies preparing to cry as well. He looked around, not surprised at the multitude of Shinigami that came. She was very popular after all.

The funeral seemed to halt everything that was going on in Seireitei, the happy smiles that graced people's faces wiped off and replaced with mourning. The lot of her friends who came to rescue her before was also there. No surprise to that. The brat with the odd hair who amazingly was nominated for a Captain's position was standing with his division, a blank look on his face. Renji snorted. He knew that the boy was silently crying in the inside, he can see it clearly in his brown eyes-its focus directly on the body as tears threatened to fall.

The lieutenant always knew that Ichigo loved her.

"_Oi! Rukia, stop being such an idiot, it's pissing me off!"_

"_Shut up! It's not my fault I have problems with your weird human food!"_

"_Just shut up and give me the damn juice box!"_

"_Che."_

"_Here you go."_

"_T…thanks."_

His eyes darted to her other 'earth-friends' standing just beside the substitute Shinigami turned Captain. The quincy boy, Renji liked him. Sure, he seemed to like lecturing him whenever they're together, but all in all, he was an amusing kid. His glasses were fixed in a manner so that no one would be able to see his eyes. Good for him, his tears were just on the brink of falling. Beside him were the giant and the booby-lady. Yachiru calls her that and it seems he's got that habit as well. The big teen was currently holding on to Inoue, his huge arms covering her as a sign of comfort as she wept in his embrace. Renji had to tear his eyes away from the heartbreaking scene. She was quite attached to her as well.

"_Rukia-chan! I got you this bunny tee shirt I saw while passing home! I thought you would like it, so…"_

"_Thank you Inoue-chan, I'm really happy!"_

"_I'm glad!"_

He did not want to look at the people anymore. Seeing the sorrow and sadness in their eyes only made him want to join them in releasing their tears. He cannot do that. He was there to make him strong, to not let him slip away. He was there because he promised her. He was there because she loved him.

Because he loved him.

"_Renji…"_

"_Rukia, don't talk. The blood…"_

"_Ah, don't worry about me, Renji…"_

"_Idiot. Just hang on, Unohana-taichou will be-"_

"_I'm just going to play with my sister, Renji."_

"_R…Rukia, don't… please."_

"_While I'm gone, please take care of him for me."_

"_R…Rukia."_

"_Please, take care of Nii-san for me."_

"_You're not gonna die Rukia! Please! Just hang on!"_

"_Thank you for… for everything Renji."_

"_Don't close your eyes, stay with me!"_

"_Promise me. P…please tell me you'll stay with him."_

"_I…I promise."_

"_Good boy."_

He finally let his tears flow freely from his face as he stared at his best friend's calm face. Strong men cried; he assured himself as he fisted his shaking hands. It was also at that moment that the skies decided to rain as well. Maybe, just maybe Renji mused, that the sky was waiting for him to cry. The raindrops falling on the people surrounding the dead body of the late Kuchiku Rukia, the silence only being broken by the splashing of the water and the weeping of the Shinigami, and as the heavens and the people cried, he wept as well.

His hair, free from its tie was gracing his face with wet locks as he continued to cry in silence. He could feel the wetness on his cool skin; it was almost the same when she would release her ice Zanpakutou. He remembers the time when they would play with her snow making abilities-they were reprimanded soon after but she would sneak a few snowballs in his face whenever they're alone.

"_Renji, look here!"_

"_What-?"_

_SPLAT._

"_Why you little…"_

"_White looks good on you, Renji."_

"_I bet it'll look better on you. Idiot."_

White did look good on her in fact. Although he wouldn't admit to anyone but himself, Rukia's prison clothes looked good on her. He would laugh someday when he would finally release this secret and see the expression on the faces of his friends. People in prison clothes shouldn't be attractive.

But she was different. She was beautiful every time. Just like her brother.

He looked beside him. At his Captain. At her brother. At the man he loved the most. He stood there, hair free from the royal dress code and black tresses dripping with water. His face devoid of any emotion; eyes fixed solidly on the lifeless body and his lips formed into a line. Heartless, many would say.

But Renji knew it was all an act.

"_While I'm gone, please take care of him for me."_

He tore away his gaze from the man beside him. Eyes trained on the fire that started to burn the body even in the rain, its ferocious licks of hot flames covered the peaceful smile on the woman's face until it was nothing but ash. Tears poured nonstop from his eyes and he took his hand out from his haramaki, unconsciously look for something to hold on when it felt fingers and latched on to it.

He smiled kindheartedly at his surprised Captain, his smile becoming wider as he felt the hand in his hold on tightly. They were in front of his division, of the whole Seireitei, but he didn't care. He quietly leaned towards his Captain, the man he admired most, lips touching the noble's ear by a hair and whispers ever so softly,

"It's okay to cry, Byakuya-taichou."

"Renji…"

And as soon as his reply came out from his mouth, a lone tear-waiting for so long to be unleashed- delicately fell from his eye. No one bothered to look; it was a loss of a loved one after all. No one would point out that it was his first time to cry ever since his wife's death, no one could hold it against him.

The redhead beamed and stroked the tear with his thumb. His hand letting go and sleekly reaching over to cover his Captain's shoulders, it was a risky move some may think. Touching the Kuchiki so freely was only given to a privileged few-relatives and those who can get away quickly enough. But it was worth it. Stroking the older man's shoulder in a form of comfort he took another look at the flames in front of him.

Breaking down all barriers for the very first time after centuries, the raven haired man leaned into Renji's shoulder, his eyes closing as he cries.

He cries over his wife. Over his sister. And over the fact that someone was there and that he would not be alone again.

"_Promise me. P…please tell me you'll stay with him."_

"_I…I promise."_

"_Good boy."_

"Don't worry Taichou, I won't be leaving you anytime soon."

END

I had fun writing this… although it was also kinda depressing…


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